Video: Working with the Attribute Editor

Now, if you want to dig even deeper into an object, you can use the Attribute Editor. Now, this has some of the features of the Channel Box, where you can actually do numeric entry on the position and rotation of an object. But it also allows you to control the parameters that construct the object itself. So, here I have a simple scene here. I'm going to go ahead and select the dog's head. Now, you notice in the Channel Box we have all of the rotational information. Now, if I click here into the Attribute Editor, you'll notice we get a lot more information.

In Maya 2011 Essential Training, George Maestri demonstrates the tools and feature set in Maya, as well as the skills necessary to model, texture, animate, and render projects with this deep and robust piece of 3D animation software from Autodesk. This course takes an in-depth tour of Maya's interface, including navigating and manipulating objects in 3D and customizing the workspace. The course also covers object creation and modeling basics, shading and texturing, surface mapping techniques, character rigging, and lastly, rendering and final output. Exercise files accompany the course.

Working with the Attribute Editor

Now, if you want to dig even deeper into an object, you can use the Attribute Editor.Now, this has some of the features of the Channel Box, where you can actually donumeric entry on the position and rotation of an object.But it also allows you to control the parameters that construct the object itself.So, here I have a simple scene here.I'm going to go ahead and select the dog's head.Now, you notice in the Channel Box we have all of the rotational information.Now, if I click here into the Attribute Editor, you'll notice we get a lot more information.

Now, the Attribute Editor is actually built up of tabs.So, each node, or each thing that changes the object, has its own tab.So the actual main tab, the very first tab in the Attribute Editor is yourTransformation Attribute.So, for example, if I have my translation, my rotation, and my scale, and I cancertainly type in numbers.I also can deal with my pivot information.I can actually display the pivots of my object if I want.I can also display what's called a Handle, which allows me to grab the object.

So, you can see how the Handle is showing up here on the dog's head.This actually can be used with the Selection Mask to actually just grab only the Handle.So you can actually flip that on and off.Now, each tab has its own function.So, for example, if I go over here, this is the actual mesh of the dog.So, in this, we have things such as Render Stats.We also have things that allow us to smooth the mesh and so on.As we start to work with modeling and building objects, we'll be using theAttribute Editor a lot more.

So I just kind of want to give you just a brief overview of it.Here, we have some left and right arrows that allow us to go through each of thenodes that affect this object.For example, here we have one for Blend Shape, which allows me to blink the dog's eyes.Usually, towards the end, you have the materials that are on the dog.So, for example, here, I have the color for the head, which includes thattexture map, and I also have another one for the nose.So if I wanted to change the color of the dog's nose, this would be one place to do that.

So, as we start working in Maya, we'll start to use the Attribute Editor a little bit more.Probably the best way to understand it is to actually use it.So, as we get into modeling and texturing, we'll be using the Attribute Editora lot more.

Q: The Chapter 2 exercise file dog_reference.mb appears blank when opened in Maya. I can't see the dog image. What do I do?

A: Make sure you are working with the most current version of the exercise files for this course from the lynda.com site. Try downloading the files again. If the image still doesn't appear, make sure the project folder is set to the matching (Chap02) folder in the exercise files.

Also check to make sure you have "hardware texturing" enabled under the viewport's Shading menu.

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Learn by watching, listening, and doing, Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along Premium memberships include access to all exercise files in the library.

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Learn by watching, listening, and doing! Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along. Exercise files are available with all Premium memberships.
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